I’m a music fan. I prefer rock and roll. I actually like all types of music but, rock is by far my favorite. And every decade or so a song comes out that both blazes new territory and also stands the test of time. Case and point, Prodigy’s “Breathe” impressed me the first time I heard it and continues to captivate me to this day.

So, with all of the manufacturers trying to master this new “hybrid” idea, Infinity has gotten my attention.
The Infinity M Hybrid is a flawless execution of a platform that gives me real hope for the future of Hybrids. To be fair all of the other manufacturers are also making great headway, but, the way Nissan strung this car together is clearly a huge leap forward.

First of all, let me tell you this car is more luxurious than a week on your own island. The sound deafening allows you to motor about town and on the highway in complete solace. The Bose system allows you to enjoy Prodigy or the Russian Easter Overture. How often do you see those two in the same sentence? The front seats are climate controlled and the steering wheel is heated. The Japanese Ash wood trim is as beautiful as Brooklyn Decker on a Maui beach. Offering a finish that looks weathered in from day one. When I sat in the car my first thought was it looked like a Jag. That’s not bad company when it comes to styling.

Although the interior is sublime the real star of this show is the power-train. Starting with the 3.5 liter 24 valveV-6, aluminum alloy block and heads with Low-friction coated pistons that offers 330HP on its own, then adding an additional battery to bring the total horsepower to 360 the Infinity M will get to 60MPH in less than six seconds. The power transfer from motor to electric is seamless. Actually, it’s better than that. The only way to tell which motor is driving the car is to keep your eye on the tach.

Most of the time while driving in town I was running electric. On a trip to Richardson to see my little brother graduate form UTD I was able to complete the trip with less than a quarter tank of gas. At one time the car switched to electric on the highway.

The fuel economy is said to be 18/25 but, I did much better. The trick is to stay in economy mode. You hear that Washington? The trick is to stay in economy mode but, I digress.

The trick to getting all of us sold on hybrids is cars like the Infinity M Hybrid. If the manufacturers will just understand that the buyers want it all than there should be no problem. The joy of the M Hybrid is the “hybrid” is not the focus. It’s just an amazing car that is quiet, fast and sips fuel like a four-banger. There, that’s all we want.

Congratulations Infinity. Even though the price tag of $53,700 eliminates buyers like my newly degreed brother there are many others who should put this car on their short list.

To whom much is given much is expected. Back a few years ago we gave the General as much as we could. That led to some lofty expectations for most of us. Having tested most of their product line since then I would say they are well on their way to fulfilling those expectations. From fuel sipping models like the Cruze, to big and bad ZL1’s and CTS-V’s. Although I appreciate the former, I’m in love with the latter.
The 2012 Cadillac CTS-V is vicious! When it was delivered all auto controls were in place. Traction control, check, Torque management, on. I pulled away from the office like 90 percent of the tenants in our building, driving a four door sedan. I took the windy road home and maybe even smiled a little.
I woke up the next morning, turned off the traction control and found Lithium on Satellite Radio. I took the same windy road back to work and when I arrived I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. The car I had yesterday had disappeared. In its place was a fire breathing, ill tempered wannabe nascar. I loved it.
The 2012 CTS-v is the perfect gentlemen’s car. Impress your clients with the luxury during the day and beat it hard on the way home or, uh…at the track. Unlike the CTS-v coupe which I did not like nearly as much as the sedan, the four door version allows room for comfort, room to be a Cadillac. I mean, if you buy a Cadillac you should have ample space and trust me you’ll never run out of power. With almost cartoonish horse power and torque numbers 556/551 the CTS-v is more fun than a weekend with Steve-O.
All power numbers aside the CTS-v is absolutely balanced and stable. For a car as heavy as the CTS-v you would expect a mushy driving experience. I assure you the opposite is true. With the Dual-Mode Magnetic Ride Control, the Chris Farley of cars rips the road up.
My favorite feature has to be the Recaro driving seats. Offering more adjustments than John Travolta’s Masseuse, the comfort is unmatched. As long as you’re comfortable enjoy your tunes on the fully integrated Bluetooth system.
The price range from a low of $64,000.00 to a still reasonable $73,000.00 fully loaded. And best of all, it’s a Cadillac.
Read More

I’m ready to concede that now is the time for Hybrids to be embraced and relied upon for mundane transportation. After all, what kind of excitement can you really get from city traffic? Sure it’s fun to weave in and out of traffic but, I now ask myself at what cost? Now is my time to grow up and realize it’s not all about my entertainment.

If you can drive to and from work and the store on battery power, why not do it? If natural gas is the way to go, why not do it? If extremely low performing, mileage rich internal combustion motors get you where you need to go, just slower, why not do it? What does it matter if one of our cars in the driveway is no fun to drive? With all of the automotive performance options available to us in 2012 surely we can sacrifice one joyous hour or two a day to rid ourselves of the big black monster.

The first time I reviewed the Volt I blasted it. This time I get the Volt just as the news is reporting fires occurring in recently crashed vehicles. Big deal. These fires occurred days after extensive damage, long after the occupants would be safely recovering at home or the hospital. The first Volt fire was over two weeks after the crash test.

2012 Volt Interior

Look, there will be hurdles but, overall we are right on schedule. When you drive the Volt you don’t feel like you’re giving up anything, including acceleration. I actually enjoyed my time in the 2012 Chevrolet Volt so much I would look at buying one down the road. There is something cool about driving a whisper quiet car. I felt more peaceful, more in tune with the world around me. It’s strange to think about a quiet world, but I can hope. What will stand out to you more than anything when you pilot the Volt is peaceful motoring. I don’t know about you, but the more quiet I can have in my life the better.

I hear a ton of objections to the Volt. The biggest is the price, $39,145.00 for the base model and $45,170.00 for the Volt I tested. The extra six grand gets you the same set of GM features that you will find on just about any GM model. Here’s the deal though, the new Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible cost $42,000.00 and change. Why can’t we put the same emphasis on mileage performance as we do on straight line acceleration? I mean really, this is the age of The Geek Squad! Let’s just embrace our inner nerd.

I know you’ll never take my word for it. Go drive one for yourself. Sales are not exactly robust for the Volt but, I see this car as a gateway car, allowing us to envision what the future could hold.
The hardest thing is opening your motor-head mind.

Recent Posts

About The Car Show

The Car Show - with Lonnie Johnson. Do you want to keep up to speed on what’s happening in the automotive world? Join Lonnie Johnson and crew every Saturday morning as they spend two hours watching Telemundo and talking about cars. From the showroom to the shop floor they cover it all. Along with Ken (the snake) Davis, and David Irwin, managing partner of Tyler Ford, everyone tries to keep Lonnie in line. You get the absolute latest news from the car world.

Each week the car show offers interviews with industry insiders, a road test from Lonnie Johnson and of course we welcome your calls and questions. But with all this content we promise not to let information get in the way of a good time. This isn’t your old man’s car show. It’s more like your crazy uncle Zeke’s. So join the crew every Saturday from 10am – noon for the Car Show. Brought to you by Quick Lane Tire and Auto Center.